The Shadow of What Was Lost/Chapter 14
| next= }} Summary After sunset, Wirr wakes and Davian quickly explains everything he has missed. Wirr takes the news - that Ilseth lied and that Davian's ability is not infallible - stoically. Wirr asks if Davian is sure that the man is really Taeris Sarr and at Davian's unsure affirmative says Sarr is supposed to be dangerous and unbalanced. Before Wirr gets any farther, Taeris returns and says he was able to verify parts of Davian's story. He can confirm that a well-known Hunter was killed in FejettThis would be Gorron and we finally learn the name of the town they were in from . and a man in Talmiel collapsed under suspicious circumstances and woke with the last two years of his life missing. Apparently, Davian did do something to help Anaar forget about the VesselBack in .. Davian feels sick about hurting another person because of being unable to see through Tenvar's lies. Wirr quickly changes the subject and begins asking Taeris about what he knows and why he was following the unconscious man they rescued. Taeris tells them that he believes what Tenvar said about the Boundary weakening is true, but that it is not a natural phenomenon. The Boundary has stood strong for over two thousand years, but only in the last decade or so has it shown sign of weakening. The speed at which it is decaying can only be the result of outside influences. Wirr asks if the Tols know this as well, and Taeris says he has told both Councils several times, but no one took him seriously. Taeris tells them that for the last few years he has been searching for any sign that the Boundary failing is part of a great plan, proof he can take back to the Tols, until a contact of his told him about the wolf symbol tattooed onto the mystery man's wrist. The same wolf symbol is carved into every Boundary Stone, as well as the symbol on the bronze box that led the boys to the man, so it must be significant. One other item he shows the boys by going over to the man and pulling up his left sleeve past the wolf tattoo to show bare forearm. The is seen to be missing the Mark that all Gifted have and is therefore not bound by the Tenets. Davian makes the connection that this must be the man that the Hunters were talking aboutBack in . who killed an entire village of people. Taeris agrees, saying he doesn't know the truth of it, but that doesn't matter to the Gil'shar. They were taking him to Thrindar for a public execution, during the Song of Swords tournament. Wirr becomes agitated saying if the Gil'shar find out he was freed by other Gifted they could use it as pretense for war. Davian asks what do so since they can't just give him back to the Gil'shar for them to kill him, to which Wirr replies that if the man is guilty, they can and should give him back than risk an incident. Taeris stops the two before they can get going, saying they should hear the man's version of events before making any decisions since he has healed at a remarkable rate, enough to be woken. Wirr asks why Taeris didn't just heal the man himself and Taeris replies he couldn't risk using Essence with so many Finders in town, and that there was no need as the man seems to be able to instinctively be able to draw on his own Reserve to heal himself even while unconscious. Taeris leans down to wake the man, but before doing so asks Davian to tell him if the man lies at all, as he probably will not have the awareness to mask any deception. Davian agrees and Taeris wakes the man. The man slowly wakes up asking where he is and Taeris tells him that he is safe, but only if he doesn't lie to them. Taeris begins interrogating the man, asking who he works for, what he knows about the bronze box, and why it was to be delivered to him. The man replies that he doesn't know what Taeris is talking about but does admit that he can see the glow from the box as well as the tattoo on his wrist. Davian confirms that it has all been the truth. The man apologizes and admits that he cannot remember anything beyond three weeks ago and that he isn't even sure if he is guilty or not. Taeris scowls and asks if the man at least knows his name, to which the man replies the villagers called him Caeden. Taeris asks him to begin with what he does remember. Caeden tells them that he woke in the middle of the forest holding a sword covered in blood that wasn't his, with no memories of who he was or how he got there. He eventually came across a group of people who sheltered him, thinking he had been robbed and beaten. The next day word came that a village had been wiped out, and it didn't take long for the connection to be made. They locked him up "just in case" until they could find more witnesses, but Caeden was sure they had already made up their minds. After a couple days, a farmer who had lost his wife in the attack, came to find Caeden. The people let the farmer into Caeden's cell and looked the other way. Caeden just reacted out of fear and used the Gift to throw the farmer against the wall of the cell killing him. After that the people were going to kill him until the Gil'shar sent word that they wanted a public execution. They Shackled him and beat him daily until the soldiers came to take him to Thrindar. Davian confirms that it is all true and Wirr agrees that they cannot turn him into the Gil'shar. Taeris says that Caeden is somehow important to all that is going on and that they cannot just turn him over to the Gil'shar. Instead they are going to have to get his memories back by using a Vessel in Tol Athian that is meant to repair the mind. Without warning, the door to the room flies off its hinges and in the doorway is the creature in the black cloak, ethereal blade in hand. Taeris quickly moves to the side and attacks the creature with Essence, but the creature is barely phased. Taeris falls back as the creature lunges towards him and then dismisses him, turning back towards the boys. Taeris yells in a foreign language and the creature turns back to Taeris replying in the same language.We learn the sha'teth said in the next chapter, . Taeris is startled by the response as the creature laughs and turns back to the boys. In the initial turmoil, Wirr's bag has fallen open and Caeden dives for one of the items that rolled from it. Just as the creature is turning on the boys, Caeden jumpes forward and slides a Shackle onto the neck of the creature. The creature screames in torment, blade vanishing, and moments later falls back on the floor, dead. Davian thanks Caeden for his quick thinking and Wirr asks if it is dead. They all hear a crash downstairs and angry voices, before they realize that Taeris used the Gift and every Finder in the town would have gone off. They gather their things and hurry downstairs and out the back of the inn unseen. They quickly mingle in with the gathering crowds and slowly move away as a group of soldiers rush inside the building, Finders and a Trap in hand. Eventually Wirr asks where they are going, to which Taeris replies north, and leads them down the dark road in silence. Characters Appeared *Aelrith as the black cloaked creature *Caeden *Davian *Taeris Sarr *Torin Wirrander Andras as Wirr Mentioned *Anaar *Gorron as the Hunter killed in Fejett *Ilseth Tenvar *Kevran Andras as King Andras Locations *Anabir *Andarra (mentioned) *Desriel *Fejett (mentioned) *Ka'tare (mentioned) *Talmiel (mentioned) *Thrindar (mentioned) *Tol Athian (mentioned) *Tol Shen (mentioned) Terms *Boundary *Darecian *Essence *Finder *Gifted *Gil'shar *Hunter *Mark *Portal box as the bronze box *Reserve *Shackle *Sha'teth as the black cloaked creature *Song of Swords *Tenets *Trap *Vessel Category:Chapters